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Updated: Jul 4, 2025

Isolation, Fixation, and Immunofluorescence Imaging of Mouse Adrenal Glands
Published on: October 2, 2018
Female baboon adrenal zona fasciculata and zona reticularis regulatory and functional proteins decrease across the
Hillary Fries Huber1, Cun Li2, Dongbin Xie2
1Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, 8715 W. Military, San Antonio, TX, 78227, USA. hhuber@txbiomed.org.
Abstract:
Debate exists on life-course adrenocortical zonal function trajectories. Rapid, phasic blood steroid concentration changes, such as circadian rhythms and acute stress responses, complicate quantification. To avoid pitfalls and account for life-stage changes in adrenocortical activity indices, we quantified zonae fasciculata (ZF) and reticularis (ZR) across the life-course, by immunohistochemistry of key regulatory and functional proteins. In 28 female baboon adrenals (7.5-22.1 years), we quantified 12 key proteins involved in cell metabolism, division, proliferation, steroidogenesis (including steroid acute regulatory protein, StAR), oxidative stress, and glucocorticoid and mitochondrial function. Life-course abundance of ten ZF proteins decreased with age. Cell cycle inhibitor and oxidative stress markers increased. Seven of the 12 proteins changed in the same direction for ZR and ZF. Importantly, ZF StAR decreased, while ZR StAR was unchanged. Findings indicate ZF function decreased, and less markedly ZR function, with age. Causes and aging consequences of these changes remain to be determined.
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